Questions we are asked before a floor
Flooring in Kenya is quoted on three different bases and almost nobody publishes rates, which makes it unusually hard to compare. These are the questions worth answering first. See also every type priced, epoxy finishes and terrazzo options.
- What does flooring cost in Kenya?
- Epoxy KES 350–1,500/m² depending on finish. Terrazzo from 1,600/m² laid and polished. Ceramic tile about 835/m² material plus 350–500 labour. SPC from 1,700/m². Sanding an existing timber floor 400/m², or 700 including varnish. The comparison page puts them all side by side.
- Why are some rates all-in and others split into material and labour?
- Because epoxy and terrazzo are mixed and laid on site, so material and labour are inseparable. Tile, SPC and laminate are products bought per square metre and then fitted. Comparing an epoxy rate to a tile material rate makes epoxy look expensive when it is not. It is the commonest mistake in Kenyan flooring.
- Should I restore my old floor or replace it?
- Test before deciding. A tired parquet or terrazzo floor is usually sound with a worn surface, and restoring it costs a fraction of replacement. In older Karen, Muthaiga and Lavington houses the existing floor is frequently better material than anything currently sold.
- Why does the slab need testing?
- Because a damp slab lifts epoxy, cups timber and swells laminate irreversibly, and no surface product prevents it. The test takes minutes. It matters most on ground floors, near the Kirichwa in Kileleshwa and around Two Rivers we find damp slabs regularly.
- Why do epoxy quotes vary by a factor of ten?
- Two different products share the name. Above about KES 2,500/m² you are being quoted a self-levelling industrial system, millimetres thick and built for forklift traffic. Below 1,500 you are being quoted a coating. A domestic garage needs the coating.
- Does terrazzo crack?
- It cracks where divider strips were omitted or badly set. That is workmanship, not the material. Strips set at doorways, direction changes and in properly sized bays control where the floor moves, and a well-set-out terrazzo floor stays sound for decades.
- What is SPC and how do I judge quality?
- A rigid waterproof plank that clicks over an existing floor, from KES 1,700/m². Judge it on wear layer thickness: it is the only number on the spec sheet that predicts how the floor looks in two years. A thin wear layer shows traffic paths quickly, especially where grit is walked in.
- How much should I add for what is not in the quote?
- Between 10 and 20 percent, for subfloor levelling, moisture barrier, underlay, skirting, thresholds and removing the old floor. Almost no Kenyan quotation itemises these. We do.
- How long does a floor take?
- It varies more than most trades. SPC over a level slab can be a day; terrazzo is laid, cured, ground in stages, grouted and polished over considerably longer. Allow two to three weeks for anything involving a levelling screed, because cure time is fixed by chemistry and cannot be compressed to suit a programme.
- Can you work in an occupied house?
- Room by room, yes. Grinding and sanding are the exceptions: both need the space empty and both are messy, so we sequence them before decorating and other finishing trades rather than after.
- Do you lay floors on verandas?
- Yes, with a rated finish. A covered veranda still takes driven rain in the long rains, so laminate fails and standard ceramic can lift. Terrazzo, externally rated porcelain or a sealed screed are what work. It is the most common flooring mistake we correct on larger Nairobi houses.
- Which areas do you cover?
- Across Nairobi: Karen, Runda, Muthaiga, Gigiri, Kitisuru, Lavington, Kilimani, Kileleshwa, Westlands, Parklands, Lang'ata and the Kiambu Road corridor. Each area page explains what actually differs about laying there.
Tell us about the floor
Room sizes in square metres, what is down now, and a photo if you have one. We will come back with a rate and an honest view on whether the existing floor is worth saving.
Slab tested before we quote · material and labour shown separately · staged payments with M-Pesa receipts